New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-23

kew.York: Frank NJ. DERBY, General Agent, ] -
Chufch-st
The seeona volume OF tlr. paucrcfts "pcou'as
Tribunals" j. one OF the mos, ntere nng aa1 ra-
poItant Of this great series, for It co1laI OBJ" fun
history, ffo,a authentic doogne lts ~. he san F'-n-
cisco Vigilance Com1iittr. %. 1913. We L.lw not
where hestcF the student can gp IN scar oi 'r.k-
ing evidences VI what mus h" called he tls .rc1a
genIus. ~ tie records Of The ware i Independence
in the history of The wdrof the rebellion. ar more
thrilling wcigit.cr and more stiIuo@ events are
narrated: bpt here Is nowhere else - found so
signal a proof Of thai natl nal sohrcty Of juds-
nent, Io5JlU q persistence for The IsAt and cool
4 l'-cODtToi. which in this remarkable episode car
ned 10 triumphant success m'vem@ht peiI'onSN
near rebellion, and every sep OF winch was taken
amid pitfalls. Never has the Aurio-raXOn capacity
for self-rovcr1ment been more concnslvey demon
strated than ~ This case and SIR Balcrotts MARIA
tive might VOL be adopted rs "A textbook IN coll
leges and universities for the strong lgh 1t throws
upon national evolution.
In reviewing the first volume of Mr. BancroItS
Popular Tribunals" a sketch was given o. the San
Francisco g;iancO Committee of 1S1l Inc COM
mIttec OF 1oJ6 was formed under qmte different
conditions The overt brutality ana savage Vo-
iencc and raplne, winch marked the per'u
of the first committee, had gwen place
TO a state Of misGovernmeut, note les thor
ough, but less hrazenly defiant. Tie Offices
were divided between the southern "chlvaTy,' So
called, and q Kind of democracy OF the foreign
tvpa such ~ furn shed the Plug UglIes' n
Blood lubs OF the Eastern states at about the
came time Both the Southerners a'm heir allies
believed in and depended upon physical force
largely HE first cultivated the "cnde ~; the
second favored stree tights Among this ruling
element in politics were undoubtedly 50 ne OF the
worst men who ever acquired prominence; desper-
ADDE'S both educated and uaeducated: gamblers,
thieves baliot-boX suffers. pugniStc DULLES.
street-corner Ioafers. adventures of every kind.
san Francisco had bee1 captured by frauds on the
suffrage OF course. the business men were not
blameiess. Had they shown 1.-THE of the reSolu-
fion they afterward exhibited IN the Vigilance
Committee in guarding the integrity of the ballot.
they cjuid have saved the city from plumber and
corruption But the period not one to be
judged by the rules which apply to ordinary social
life and growth. California was plunged III the
fever of forfune-huntiny. Money was made IN
such amounts that every one was dazzled and fas-
cinatod. Business men were absorbed, as never
before or since in the ihousaad-ald-one lucrative
ventures open to them. 1t asking very much
10 expect than to leave their absorbing affairs to
look after politics. They saw how things were
going, but they no doubt hoped for the best. and
promised themselves that by-and-by they would
attend better to their civic duties
Meanwhile the "chivalry." the ballot-box stuff
ers. the oafeIs and bulics ard gamblers,
became bolGer. The courts were prac-
tlcaly controlled by them. The judges winkcd
at their offences Murders became more frequent.
So long as the victims were swaShbuckers them
selves the public were disposed to be ind fferent
bu, it was not always so, and powerful tonic was
about TO be applied to public opinion. When James
King of William started The EreiRJ Butletin q
conscience began to utter itself. THIS man
patriot Of the martyr type. Not too refined That
would have lessened his usefHlness. Upright, un-
purchasablc without fear. he waged deadly war
from the first issue of his paper upon the scoun-
dres who mad stolen tue city government. upon
their abettors everywhere: upon every notorious
infamous and Haunting rogue that was implicated
in the general scandal. At first Kings proceedings
caused astOnishmeut. The kuaves had had their
own way SO long that they could hardly realize
the earnestness of this new 70, who denounced
them so increasingly. Then Kings friends became
alarmed They told him he would be killed If he
did not stop his attacks upon the rognes. The
rogues themselves also muttered vengeance But
James King of William was not to be intimidatcd
or persuaded to stop the performance of his duty
He continued to expose the vilany of the peoples
ttrants with Characteristic tenaclty and ntTepdlty
and he succeeded III stirring the people out OF
their long trance and causing them TO realize what
they were being degraded TO through their Suplne-
ness. Presently new crime emphasized The
Bulletins exposures. United States Marshal
named Richard son was assasslnated on the street
in broad daylight by an Italian gambler named
Cora 1t was brutal atrocity and it caused
much feeling the more since as things stood
there was very little probability that the murderer
would be convicted. King said SO plainly. and
among those he charged with special desire 10 de-
feat Justice was James Casey. one OF the most
prominent Democratic politicians OF the day, and
himself proprietor of a daily paper, in which be
tried to reply to King. Now Casey though he bad
grown rich by the plumber Of san Francisco. had
arrived in California not merely poor, but desDer-
ately attainted He was. in fact, sing Sing con
Wet and he very anxious to conceal the truth.
KING being put in possession of Caseys antece-
dents. AS a matter of course published them. There
upon Casey lay in wait and shot him down as he
was crossing the street. King mortally
wounded, but fingered several days-long enough
to give time for arrangements which made the hour
of his death also the hour OF retribution. What
followed Casey's shot was indeed marvellous
thing That crime filed the measure OF the out
RACES wi ch the people could endure. The streets
were in few minutes swarming with an excited
multitude. The historic bell of Monumental Com
pany was rung. That evening call for a meeting
of the Vigilance Committee was advertised. Next
day MIR. w. T. Coleman was chosen president Of IL.
and its organization was proceeding with swift
ness a. d method little short of military mobiliza-
ton.
Mr.. Coleman possesses remarkable executive
faculty, as he has repeatedly shown and he had
most efficient lieutenants. In three days from six
TO eight thousand men were enrolled. were being
RAPIDLY drilled, were armed aud instructed in their
duties. James King of William was shot
on May IA. His funeral took place on the 21st
and that same day and that same hour his murderer,
Casey. was hanged in front OF the Vigilant head
quarters in company with the other assassin Cora
So rapid had been the work Of the Committee. In
l.ad1 Cd nfinc fi1ra